Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-10-08

"Why art thou SO frightened, stranger"
asked the sweet voice agatha voice that
seemed to draw the heart out OF me like
the strains of softest music. us there that
about me that should alright a manp Then
surely are men changed from what they
used TO De-" And with a little coquettish
movement, she turned herself, and held
up one arm, so as TO show all her lowell
ness, and the rich hair of raven blackness
that streamed IN soft ripples down her
snowy robes, almost to her sandaled feet.
1T Is thy beauty that makes mo fear, oh,
queen,'' / answered, humbly scarcely
knowing what to say, and / thought that
as ! did 50 i heard old Billali, who was
still lying PROSTATE on the floor, mutter,
Good. my Balloon, good"
81 see that men still know how to beguile
Us women with false words. All, stran-
GER" she answered, with a laugh that
sounded like distant silver bells, thou
vast afraid because mine eyes were search
ing out thine heart, therefore vast thou
afraid. Blu being but a woman, / forgive
thee for the lie, for it was courteously said.
And now tell me how came we hither on
this land Of the dwellers among caves-a
land Of swamps and evil things and dead
old shadows of the past. What came We
for to see? How is it that We hold your
lives so cheap as to place them in the hol-
low of the hand of Hiya, into the hand Of
-be-obeyed2 Tell me also
how come We to know tho tongue that l
talk? 1t is an ancient tongue. Liveth 1t
yetin the world. Thous eest ! dwell among
the caves and the dead, and naught know
i Of the affairs OF men, nor have / cared to
know. nave lived, oh stranger, with my
memories, and my memories are in q grave
that mine own hands followed, for truly
hath it been said that the child Of man
maketh his own path evil. i" and the beauti-
full voice quivered, and broke in q note as
soft as any wood birds.
Suddenly her eye fell upon the sprawling
frame Of Billali, and she seemed to recol-
lect herself.
''Ah! thou art there, old man. Tell me
how it is that things nav gone wrong in
thine household. Forsooth, it seems that
these my guests were set upon. Ay, and
one was nigh to being slain by the hot pot
to be eaten Of those brutes thy children,
and had not the others fought CALAMITY
they too had been slain, and not even l
could have called back the life that had
loosed from the body. What means it, old
man? What hast thou to say that should
not give thee over TO those who execute my
y~engeance?"
Her voice had risen IN her anger, and it
rang clear and cold against the rocky walls,
Also | thought / could see her eyes flash
through the gauze that hid them. | saw
poor Billali, whom / had believed to be a
very fearless person, positively culver with
terror at her words.
ooh, Hiya; oh She" he said, without
lifting his white mead from the tioor--"oh,
She, as thou art great, be merciful, for l
am now as ever thy servan to obey. 1t
was no plan or fault of mine, oh, She; it
was those wicked ones who are called my
children. Led on by a woman whom thy
guest the Pig had scorned, they would
have followed the ancient custom Of the
land, and eaten the fat black stranger who
came hither with these thy guests, the Ba-
boon, and the Lion who is sick, thinking
that no word had come from thee about
the black one. But when the Balloon and
the Lion saw what they would do, they
slew the woman, and slew also their SER
want to save him from the horror Of the
pot. Then those evil ones-ay, those child
rem of the Wicked One who lives in the
Pit-they went mad with the lust Of blood,
and few at the threats of the Lion and the
Baboon and the Pig. Blu CALAMITY they
fought, oh, Hiya, they fought like very
men, and slew many, and held their own,
and then l came and saved them, and the
evil-doers nave | sent on hither TO be
judged of thy greatness, oh, She, and here
they are"
GAY, old man, I know 1t, and tomorrow
will / sit in the great hall ana do justice
upon them, fear not. And for thee, / for
give thee, though hardly. See that thou
dost keep thine household better. Go"
Billali rose upon his knees with aston